Metro

Edo: Journalists Fume As Overzealous Mobile Police Officer Threatens Arrest

Published

1 week ago

March 18, 2023

A Mobile Police officer, who simply identified himself as Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Isah threatened to arrest journalists who were carrying out their lawful duty on Saturday on Sapele Road, Benin, Edo State.

Trouble started when the vehicle conveying the CSP suddenly accosted a vehicle driven by Otunba Mike Aladenika, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Edo State council, with his vehicle and asked who he (Aladenika) was.

The former Chairman was explaining himself when the vehicle next to him in the Convoy of journalists, which was driven by Mr. Ozioruva Aliu, the Edo State Correspondent of Vanguard newspaper who happens to be former secretary of the council alighted from his vehicle to join the explanation by identifing Otunba as a journalist and former Chairman of the council.

But Isah, who said he is the second in command of the Mobile Police Division in the state, was not satisfied with the explanation but rather questioned why journalists would drive in a convoy on election day.

Despite the journalists showing the officer their Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) accreditation tags and office ID, he insisted that they were on illegal duty since they did not have pass and police escort.

When he was told that journalists were free to move around on election day based on their job, he described them as illiterates.

But the journalists in return also told the CSP that he could also pass for a fake policeman, as he did not display his name tag.

Further, CSP also stated that anybody could claim to be a journalist.

CSP Isah noted that journalists should have stayed in a place to do their job instead of the usual practice of moving around to get information to do their reports.

This resulted in a heated argument and consequently attracted other journalists who were in the convoy.

The CSP threatened to arrest the Vanguard Correspondent, Ozioruva Aliu.

This brought further argument as all the journalists in the convoy opted to follow the overzealous CSP to Zone Five of the Nigerian Police on Adesuwa Road.

After realising that he would not be able to effect an arrest and was chasing a lost cause, the CSP and his team rushed into their patrol vehicle and drove off.

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Metro

JUST IN: Gunmen Kill Three NSCDC Personnel In Imo

Published

2 hours ago

March 27, 2023

Editor

Yet-to-be identified gunmen have allegedly killed three personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Imo State.

The incident which happened at EkeIsu market in Obiangwu Community in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state has thrown the community into panic.

A community source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the slain corps were attacked in the early hours of Monday.

He said that the NSCDC personnel were riding in a vehicle when they were ambushed and killed by their attackers, while noting that security operatives had taken over the community.

It was gathered that the lifeless bodies of the victims were still at the scene as of the time of filing this report.

The source said, “Three operatives of the NSCDC were killed last night at EkeIsu market in Obiangwu Community in the Ngor Okpala LGA of Imo State. They were ambushed while in their vehicle. Their bodies have not been evacuated as we speak. Soldiers have taken over the community.”

But when contacted, the spokesperson for the police in the state, Henry Okoye, who confirmed the killing of the three NSCDC personnel, said security operatives had moved into the community and restored normalcy.

He promised to issue a statement on the incident later.

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Metro

Two Killed As Lagos Rival Cult Groups Clash

Published

9 hours ago

March 27, 2023

Editor

Suspected cultists said to be avenging the killing of their colleague by a rival group on Thursday, March 16, hacked one Moses aka Loworo to death on Tapa Street in the Bariga area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that some members of a cult group had killed a rival cult member identified simply as Ayo in a community in Shomolu area of the state earlier that day.

A source, who did not want his name in print because of the sensitive nature of the matter, told said that in a bid to avenge Ayo’s death, his colleagues trailed his suspected killers to Bariga where they launched a reprisal on Moses.

He said, “The problem started in the morning when Ayo was attacked and killed in his area in Shomolu. He was killed at about 11am while his left hand was cut off and taken away by the cultist.

“Later in the evening, members of a cult group came to avenge the death of their colleague. When they came into the community, they were looking for members of their rival group and that was how they saw Moses.

“At that point, Moses was standing alone close to a kiosk on Tapa Street and was not aware of the presence of the cultists. Suddenly, their vehicle moved close to him and four guys came out and surrounded him. That was when one of them pulled a gun and shot him three times. After shooting him, he wanted to escape but he fell. Then they inflicted machete cuts on him.

“When other members of his group heard what happened, they rushed down to the spot and found his body in the drainage where it was dumped. They also attempted to chase those who attacked him but they did not see any of them.”

The source added that the incident caused apprehension in the area as business owners locked their shops.

“Shortly after the incident, people who have shops in the area quickly closed for the day and rushed home. Most of them did not open the following day (Friday) because of the incident. They were also scared that his death could lead to a breakdown of law and looting of their shops by louts,” he added.

The source said the Bariga Divisional Police Officer later visited the scene of the incident and took the corpse to the mortuary.

When contacted on Sunday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said he was not aware of the incident.

“I am not aware of this,” he stated in a text message sent to The PUNCH.

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Metro

Gunmen Kill 6 Persons In Rivers Community

Published

22 hours ago

March 26, 2023

Editor

Gunmen have killed 6 persons in Odiokwu community in Ahaoda West Local Government Area of Rivers State.

An eyewitness told DAILY POST that the attack was carried out around 11am on Sunday (today), at a sit out in the community.

The eyewitness said a resident who was preparing to go to church was also gunned down.

The source, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, expressed worry that 27 persons have died in Ekpeye kingdom in different attacks in the month of March.

He, however, called in security agencies to come to their aid, as the people now live in fear.

“This thing happened at exactly 11am this Sunday. Some bad guys just came to a compound where youths were just resting.

“Some other visitors who are also tenants in that compound were also outside, preparing for church this morning. Just for them to be shot like that. About six persons were shot.

“And these persons that were shot were not members of any cult group. Neither did they have any problem with the community or any cult group.

“And this thing baffles us. As I’m talking to you now, we have recorded a total number of 27 persons killed in Ekpeye in this month of March.

“We have traditional leaders, we have political leaders, we have a government in Rivers State. Why is it that Ekpeye is being abandoned? Instead, people send guns and money to these buys.

“We are calling on the Federal Government and the international community, since the state government is not doing anything about the killings, to come to our aid,” he said.

The police, as at the time of filing this report, is yet to respond.

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